MANAGER Alun Rossiter summed up the mood of relief in the Coventry camp after they finally broke their losing sequence at Brandon on Thursday.

The Buildbase Bees, a day after crashing 63-29 at Poole, defeated Lakeside 53-40 with exactly the kind of performance the team was built to produce, and although there is plenty of work still to do, at least it lifted the club away from rock-bottom in terms of confidence if not yet in the Elite League table.

Rossiter also hailed the backing of the crowd, lower than usual due to the off-race night and recent results, who were finally rewarded with a positive result.

Many of them went away talking about the exciting display of doubling-up reserve Richard Sweetman, who should be set for a run in the team on the evidence of his paid-15 performance, and another significant factor was in all three heat-leaders scoring double figures for the first time this season.

Rossiter said: “It was a long time coming, but I think the performance at Poole probably gave a lot of the riders a reality check. I’m not getting carried away, but that was more like it.

“We’ve been through a lot of lows so far and you could see that with the crowd, but I do appreciate the people who turned up and stuck with the boys, and it was great to see their reaction at the end of the meeting.

“We were much sharper, and the big difference was we only had two last places, and one of them was after the meeting was won. We also had the race wins when we needed them.

“I still think we are a bit vulnerable in places so we’ll be keeping a check on things, but it does give us some confidence, and of course we have (Przemyslaw) Pawlicki coming in next week which should help us.”

n BEES skipper Chris Harris (pictured) enters his fourth Grand Prix season at Leszno tonight knowing this is the year when he simply has to make an impact at the top level.

Harris has found it tough to live up to the expectations generated by his initial displays in the series, including his dramatic 2007 win at Cardiff, and there was much speculation that he would not be handed a place for this year.

However, it appears clear that the series requires two British riders, and Harris was nominated alongside teenager Tai Woffinden, who makes his first appearance as a full-time member of the competition at tonight’s European GP.

Harris said: “I feel it should go well. The bikes feel good, and I proved in Heat 13 at Poole that I’m on the pace and I can pass the good riders, so I’m feeling quite confident.

“I haven’t done anything especially different, but I’ve got to start believing in myself more and telling myself that I can do it, and I’m sure the results will come.”

Jason Crump is the overall series favourite as he begins his bid for a fourth World title but, Woffinden aside, much of the interest will focus on the other young newcomer, Poole’s Australian star Chris Holder..